UNIVERSITY OF THE SUNSHINE COAST

Our Customer

Opened in 1996 with just 524 students, the University has since expanded to over 12,000 students today. Its campus sits on a 100 hectare property north of Brisbane and offers both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.

Project Description

The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) is the fastest growing university in Australia. With this growth has come swift expansion including the development of new buildings and upgrades to existing properties.

For USC, it is essential audio visual plays a fundamental role in any development. Three years ago, USC was looking for a new audio visual supplier. They wanted a company who had transparent processes and were knowledgeable of the latest audio visual technologies on the market.

Fast forward to today, and Programmed has since worked on various audio visual projects totalling approximately $6 million and has now become the University’s sole provider of audio visual services.

Project Solution

During this time Programmed has designed and installed audio visual for video conferencing rooms, lecture theatres and general learning areas, wet labs, as well as for their new Conference Centre. We have also installed digital signage and conduct routine mid and end-of-year technology refresh works.

Additionally, notable projects include the Nursing Simulation Facility and the Immersive Space.

The Nursing Simulation Facility at USC comprises of nine state of the art, interactive nurse teaching spaces and four control rooms. These spaces provide invaluable hands-on learning experience for our future nurses by merging IT and AV technologies, thereby making the facility one of the most advanced of its kind in the world.

Designed by Indesign Technologies, Programmed was contracted to install the audio visual component of the project. This included BLINE Capture Server (which is purpose built for the medical environment), an 80 input system incorporating fixed and PTZ cameras, fixed and wireless lapel microphones, and 15 Crestron 15-inch touch panels.

The Immersive Space project was part of the $25 million Learning and Teaching Hub development at the Sippy Downs campus. It not only boasts an ingenious audio visual design utilising leading edge technology, but it was also delivered within inflexible budgetary constraints and an uncompromising deadline.

The Space was to become the new home of the Engage Research Cluster. Responsible for developing various interactive technologies such as computer games and software applications, they needed a multi-room infrastructure with the ability to send video and audio to display systems in different locations. The group also required a completely immersive environment with 270 degree floor to ceiling projection to allow the team to test concepts out.

In response to the USC’s brief, Programmed created a system that utilised a central 32 x 32 matrix Creston switch for signal routing and user interface touch panels and keypad. Additionally, 6 Epson HD projectors, a 7.1 surround sound system, 4 Panasonic HD cameras and 2 tri-element ClearOne microphones came together to create a full immersive space for the Engage Research Cluster to work in.

With each audio visual project, our team of specialists had to overcome challenges of extremely tight timelines. Often work is required to be completed within holiday periods to avoid minimal disruption to staff and students. This causes logistical issues to ensure equipment arrives on site at the right time, as well as having to mobilise a large workforce so deadlines are met despite the holiday period.

We are also required to make sure all new AV equipment used is not only the latest technology that best suit USC’s needs, but is also consistent with their current suite of products. This helps reduce the need to train staff and students to use different brands of AV equipment, as well as it being easier for their own IT Department to provide support.

Project Outcome

Our relationship with the University has been so successful that our service offering has now broadened to incorporate data communications work. Programmed is now working to upgrade the communications infrastructure to one of the University’s buildings with likelihood of being awarded additional projects in the near future.